1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stator of a vehicle ac generator driven by an internal combustion engine and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that a plurality of conductor segments are welded to form a stator winding. WO92/06527 discloses a stator winding which is formed of a plurality of U-shaped conductor segments. The U-shaped conductor segments are inserted from an axial end of the stator core and connected to one another at portions thereof on the other end of the stator core, so that the stator can have regularly disposed coils more easily than the stator having a stator winding formed of continuously wound magnet wires.
Although WO92/06527 has no description about insulators disposed in the slots, such electric insulators are sometimes necessary under certain circumstances. If an insulator is formed of a plain insulating sheet, such an insulator may be dragged or shifted axially in a slot when a conductor segment is inserted into the slot covered by the insulator. As a result, bare surfaces of the stator can not be covered completely, and the conductor segments are not insulated well. If the insulators are fixed to the stator core by an adhesive agent or the like, additional steps and cost are necessary.